Improvement in projectiles



"JHHELM -lz verwe& proiec'me Q SUMB Patented Dec.19, 1871.

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PATENT OFFIoE.

J.- HENRY HELM, 0F PITTSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROJECTILES.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 122.014, dated December 19, 1871.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, J. HENRY HELM, ot' Pitts. burg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful great velocity to the projectile, with reduced impediment during its flight. I

Besides the advantages named, my method of providing projectiles with elastic sabots prevents all escape of g: past the projectile,'causes no injury to the interior of gun-barrels, and gives great accuracy by giving a sure and effective spiral motion to the projectile. All this is ac; complished by cmistructing the sabot B of softand elastic or semi-elastic material in such a manner that, while passing into the gun easily onbeing compressed at its base, said sabot instantly expands outwardly, fills the entire bore of the gun, and communicates to the projectile A the spiral as well as the forward motion.

Of the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a plan of the projectile andsabot. Fig.2 is a vertical transverse section, representing a cut through the center of the same from point to base.

A is the body of the projectile, the length of B is the sabot.

which generally exceeds three times its diameter.

At a a. is a square ofi'set, forming a shoulder. Against this shoulder rests a ring or washer, O. This ring is made of hard strong metal, and is for the purpose of preventing the substance of the sabot B from bein g forced past the projectile. It entirely incloscs that part of' the projectile which is back of the ring Q, and is always larger in diameter than the body of the projectile. Said sabot is made of soft and elastic or semi-elastic material, non-combustible material, such as the hair ofauinmls, being preferred for heavy ordnance. Any such or other similar or suitable material is tightly compressed into the required shape. For convenience in handling and loading the sabot B is generally attached to the projectile sufficiently firm for such purpose, but not so firm as to prevent it from readily becoming detached from said same has left the gun.

Metallic cartridgecascs, when used in connection with this projectile, are. attached to the base of the sabot B in the same manner and for the same purpose as they are now attached to the base of projectiles.

When the ditt'erence between the diameter of the projectile and that of the sabot is not more than thlee-sixteenths of an inch the ring 0 is dispensed with. i \Vhat l-claim as my invention isj The combination of the projectile, the metallic supporting-ring, and the elastic sabot, as set forth.

Witnesses:

JACOB F. HENRICI, JOHN D. MoRELAND.

J. HENRY HELM.

n'ojectile after the 

